Teen charged with attempted homicide

NEILLSVILLE – A 17-year-old Hillsboro teen accused of repeatedly stabbing another man in the neck Wednesday was charged Thursday with attempted first-degree intentional homicide in a crime that police say began as a drinking game.

Clark County Circuit Judge Jon Counsell set a $500,000 cash bond for Mathew D. Gebhardt during a bond hearing Thursday.

Police said Gebhardt's sister and a 27-year-old man stopped Tuesday night at a home in the North 1700 block of Highway 95, Neillsville, so that they could say goodbye before leaving on a trip. Gebhardt wanted his sister to have a shot of booze with him and told her she could punch him in the face if she drank the shot, according to court records.

Gebhardt gave his sister instructions on where to hit him and told her "no uppercuts," according to the complaint. She hit him, the two hugged and said there were no hard feelings.

Gebhardt's girlfriend became angry when she learned the sister had punched Gebhardt in the face. She went into the garage where Gebhardt and the sister had been and got into a fight with her. At one point, the 27-year-old man got involved and a scrum ensued, police said.

At one point, the 27-year-old put his hand on Gebhardt's neck and pushed him out of the garage, where he forced Gebhardt to his knees, according to the complaint. Gebhardt's girlfriend then came to his defense. Gebhardt told authorities he was unable to breath when the 27-year-old had his hand on his throat, although authorities did not see any marks on Gebhardt's neck.

After the man went back into the garage, Gebhardt drew a camouflaged pocket knife with a blade about 3 inches long, entered the garage and started stabbing the 27-year-old in the back of the neck, according to the complaint. Gebhardt said he couldn't stop and that he was defending himself.

The 27-year-old had several lacerations to his neck and significant blood loss, according to the complaint. His family took him to Neillsville Memorial Hospital and a helicopter then transported him to Ministry Saint Joseph's Hospital in Marshfield.

Gebhardt and his girlfriend left the residence and Gebhardt threw his knife out the window of their vehicle, according to the complaint. They later returned to the residence where authorities arrested him.

Gebhardt is scheduled to make an initial appearance April 23. He faces maximum sentence of 60 years in prison if convicted.

You can contact reporter Karen Madden at 715-423-7200, ext. 6729, or follow her on Twitter @KMadden715